Digital Malaysia To Generate US$9.8 Billion Investments By 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Digital Malaysia initiative unveiled by Prime Minister Najib Razak last October is expected to generate some RM31.2 billion (about US$9.8 billion) worth of investments based on a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model by 2020. Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) chief executive officer Badlisham Ghazali said the initiative would facilitate the country in raising the information and communication technology's gross national income (GNI) contribution to 17 per cent, reaching RM294 billion by 2020. "Eight projects have been approved this year and will be rolled out in phases," he told a press conference on Thursday. The national programme's initiative is aimed at advancing the country towards a developed digital economy by 2020, with MDeC and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) as part of its steering committee. Badlisham said the eight projects, which would be the first of the many waves in the pipeline, include the Asian e-Fulfillment Hub that seeks to develop Malaysia into the Asian hub for servicing cross-border e-commerce shipment into the region. This project is expected to garner PPP-based investments worth RM620 million, while creating 1,622 job opportunities and a RM287 million GNI contribution by 2020. "Secondly, it is to enable e-Payment services to be realised for small and medium enterprises and micro enterprises," said Badlisham. Among the other projects include a shared cloud enterprise services, microsourcing for income generation, facilitating societal upliftment, on demand customised online education, growing the embedded systems industry and establish a trusted mobile digital wallet platform. MOSTI Deputy Minister Fadillah Yusof said the initiative's three strategic thrusts would foster a cohesive digital ecosystem. "These thrusts include initiating more demand-focused activities to leverage on the supply, encouraging internet users to come up with products or services while they consume from digital technologies, and increase development of local talent in key industries," Fadillah said. (US$1 = Malaysian Ringgit RM3.16) -- BERNAMA